South Korea acquires P-8 maritime patrol aircraft

The Republic of Korea Navy (RoKN) has acquired the P-8 Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft (MPA), a senior executive at Boeing said on 25 June.

The South Korean procurement agency Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA) also said separately that it had decided to buy the P-8 Poseidon aircraft, worth around 1.9 trillion won (US$1.71 billion), through the U.S. government foreign military sales program.

Kang Hwan-seok, a DAPA spokesman, told a media briefing the decision was made after a comprehensive review of legal aspects, cost, schedule and performance.

Saab and Airbus had also shown interest in meeting the government’s needs with the Swordfish and C295 MPA models respectively, but the Boeing contract was ultimately awarded on a “sole-source” basis that did not require a competitive tender process.

According to the Boeing, the P-8 is an aircraft designed for long-range anti-submarine warfare; anti-surface warfare; and intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance missions. It is capable of broad-area maritime and littoral operations. It is also effective at humanitarian and search and rescue missions. A derivative of the Next-Generation 737-800, the P-8 combines superior performance and reliability with an advanced mission system that ensures maximum interoperability in the future battle space.

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